You're Not a Little Girl Anymore
by RumorGoddess
Summary: The Goddess! He doesn't recognize me. I don't look THAT different' ...maybe you HAVE changed. People are noticing that you're not a little girl anymore. Final chapter is up. THE END
1. Hair and Hurrying

Disclaimer: I am only going to say…or, more so, type this once. So listen (or read, I guess) up…?  All of the characters (except for the ones you say "Who?" about) and settings and blah, blah, blah…belong to the great and wonderful goddess: Tamora Pierce (…lucky). 'Goes into a corner and pouts'

AN-Y'all should be nice, this is my first time posting a fanfic, so don't throw vegetables at me…unless they're potatoes (yum!). If you see any major mistakes, the format's screwed up, or it just flat-out sucks…tell me, but be gentle about it. Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy what my twisted little mind has to offer. Oh yeah, and I'll TRY not to use the word y'all too much…keyword: try. Okay, I'll shut-up now…y'all enjoy. Oops… =o)

ALSO- for those that have already read and reviewed this chapter (thanks a bunch!), I did change a few mistakes that y'all were helpful enough to point out. As for the pairing, I'm not quite sure of that, but I'll figure it out for y'all later. On with the sorta-story…

You're Not a Little Girl Anymore

Kel woke up with a start.  Even after all those years, Joren still haunted her dreams.  They always terrified her.  Whether dream-Joren was threatening her life or showing special interest in her, she feared him.  But of course, she was just being daft.  Joren was dead, and he wasn't even that great of a fighter when he was alive- so why did his image give her chills? 

She pushed the thought aside, telling herself it was just her imagination, and started to get ready for her morning glaive sequences.  She tied her hair back with a strip of leather and rolled up the sleeves of her nightshirt, thinking of how odd she would seem to a passerby who didn't know her.  Holding her glaive, a staff of five feet topped by a curved metal blade, she was nothing like people's usual ideas of a Tortall maiden.  With light brown hair and a dreamer's hazel eyes, Keladry of Mindelan's face looked as a girl was expected to look: serene and content.  But look past her face and she was anything but… her height of five foot nine, her muscular build, and her callused hands suggested that she was a fighter and worked as hard as a knight, which of course she did.  This was because she was a knight, a female knight actually.

 She'd spent four years as a page, four as a squire, and had passed her Ordeal of Knighthood to earn her shield.  She was proud of being a knight, not to mention her title: Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan.  She shook her head, and thought of a calm lake to clear her thoughts, her expression became what others called her Yamani face.  After living in the Yamani Islands, she could stay expressionless for hours.  This led to a common nickname around the palace for her unreadable appearance- the Yamani Lump (not such a great nickname, actually). 

She began the swift movements of her glaive dance, the metal such a blur that it seemed as if weapon and girl moved as one.  She completed her pattern with no mistakes, and with sweat soaking through her shirt.  Kel laid down her glaive and stripped of her clothes, eager for the bath that awaited her.  She sank in, fully aware of how rare it was for her to get a long soak like she desired.

 The morning bell sounded, waking up anyone who slept as late as possible, _Which_, Kel thought, _most normal people do_. 

She got out of the bathtub and took a simple dress out of the wardrobe.  After so many days of acting the roll of a man, she felt as though she needed a reminder of her feminine side.  Of course, Kel would never dare admit that to herself or anyone else.  But, her sub-conscience new better as she reached for the lightweight, tan cloth.  Kel slipped her dress over a white shift.  Before leaving her room, Keladry looked in the mirror, and did a double take.

"What do you know…" she mumbled, eyeing her hair which was now down to her shoulders.  "I didn't even notice." 

She hadn't had time to notice during the war with Scanra. Her hair had been braided almost the whole time. She had been busy building up New Hope and running things there.

"I wonder if anyone will notice," she thought aloud. "We're about to find out." 

It had been just over a month since the end of the war.  The knights had been arriving for about a week, but most had come in the previous night.  Kel wondered about the faces she'd be seeing, and worried about the faces that she wouldn't.  She didn't know of any of her friend's deaths, but she didn't know for sure what losses the war had caused.  She'd find out soon enough, a small feast was to be held to celebrate the victory of the war.  All knights and members of the King's Own and Queen's Riders would be attending. 

Kel placed seeds in her sparrows dish by the window and food and water for Jump, her loyal dog that'd proved his worth in numerous fights, before leaving her room.  She set off towards the mess hall, her stomach urging her along.  About to open the doors, someone running into her bumped her onto the floor.  As he leaned down to help her up she saw his green eyes and arched nose and she recognized him as her best friend Sir Nealan of Queenscove.  Although five years older, he was Kel's year mate. Neal had been camp healer at New Hope as well as at the first refugee camp, which had been destroyed, Haven. His gaze barely shifted to her, he was looking around as if he'd lost something.

"What's the big hurry?" Kel asked the tall, lanky man.

"I'm extremely sorry, m' lady, I'm just in a rush to find my friends." Neal responded.  _The Goddess! He doesn't recognize me. He's seen me in a dress before.  I don't look THAT different!,_ She thought.

Okay y'all, now for my extremely overused word: Review!! Review!! Review!!

And for those that speak pig latin: Eviewray!! Eviewray!! Eviewray!! = )

May the rumors spread quickly through the hallways of your lives. ; )


	2. Two Times Today

Hey y'all! Sorry if this chapter keeps changing, I'm still trying to get a hang of posting. It should still be the same chapter, with just a few small changes. When I reposted this chapter with revisions I forgot to post my thank-you's. Thanks for all of your awesome reviews! Y'all are the best! The encouragement, critique, and advice really helped me out.

Alianne Cooper (You were my first reviewer!), Nolee of Stone Mountain, Queen Cake, Mango Sam, twilight-la-fae, Kelly Masbolle, Prowling Kit-Kat(There's a note for you at the bottom.), Kore Yan, Mustang Gal (the car or the horse?), oceanspike, Trickstergal33, The Final Stillness of Saturn, Lady Page, crystalambaia, ossini, sYaOrAnRoXmiSoX (what does that mean? lol), chicken-puffs, shinadagami, Rat Child G, and flashrider....(gasps for breath!). Again- Thank y'all SOOO much. Your reviews keep me going. So...without further babbling- I give you the next installment of what will hopefully become a story (with a real plot and everything!)...

You're Not a Little Girl Anymore- Chapter 2

"And what friends might these be, Meathead!" using the nickname given to him by his cousin: Domitan of Masbolle (Dom, for short).

"Well…I," he mumbled, obviously confused. Neal turned and actually looked at her for the first time since knocking her down. Kel placed her hands on her hips and flipped her hair so she could glare up into his face. "KEL!!" He pulled her in a strong bear hug, recognizing his best friend at last.

"How hard did you hit your head in battle, that you can't even know your own friend from a lady?" she joked with him.

"I know you'll deny it Kel, but I must stress that YOU, my dear friend, are both."

"Flattery won't save you from bruises on the practice court, Neal. Save 'em for Yuki. By the way, have you seen her yet?" knowing the answer from the happy look on his face.

"She met me when I arrived, Mithros bless. I don't know what I would have done without her sweet face to brighten my dreary world." While he was singing his praises of his beloved Yukimi, Kel slipped past him into the mess hall. Neal was her best friend, but his poetry couldn't best the smell of food from the dining hall. She slipped in line and got a bowl full of porridge and some cinnamon toast then turned around, looking for someone she knew to sit with.

"He's over in the corner," Neal said from behind her.

"Where…" she began to say, but caught herself. Her small crush on Dom was obvious, but she wasn't going to admit it. "Did it take you that long to notice I wasn't listening?" she said, trying to change the subject.

"Come on, my plate's already over there." He pushed her in the back and then led her over to the table. She saw many familiar faces, but one in particular was missing.

"Cheating on Yuki, Neal?" Dom's joking voice sounded behind them, "Who's the pretty lady?"

"You can't be serious." Kel said shocked. He took her for some noble lady, flirting with her, no less.

"I'm sorry, m'lady. Haven't you heard of our terrible flirting habits?" He said from behind Kel's seated form.

"I see it firsthand everyday." She decided to play along with Dom, whether it was a little game of his or he was confused.

"I don't doubt it, m'lady. Not being as pretty as you are." He told her, flirting as bad as possible. She put a sly grin on her face and turned around with her hands under her chin, in her best imitation of a girly pose. She then flipped her hair, for the second time that day, so he could see her face clearly.

"Really? You obviously don't get out much." She kept her grin calm as Dom blushed scarlet and the whole table laughed. Neal was laughing so hysterically that he fell off the bench.

"What? But, I thought…_Mithros_!" Dom muttered.

"I can't believe you did that." Neal told Dom, rubbing it in.

"Shut-up Meathead!" Dom said embarrassed. He sat down next to his plate.

"You shouldn't be talking Neal." Kel said, knocking him off his high horse. "You know you did the same thing." He blushed and looked up at her. She smiled then began to eat, finally.

" Hey, Kel," Merric, another of her good friends, called. "Twice in one day, doesn't that tell you something?"

"That I'm surrounded my blind morons?" she offered.

"Or, that maybe you HAVE changed." Merric told her. "People are noticing that you're not a little girl anymore." The Goddess! She didn't know if she should take that as a compliment or as Merric's way of asking for a beating.

"Stop it, Merric. You're making her…well not blush, but she's becoming the Yamani Lump." Neal used her nickname from when they were pages. Thankfully, Kel had finished her breakfast and had an excuse to leave this embarrassing conversation.

"I don't know about you guys, but I have places to be." Kel said as she stood up. "You BOYS have fun." They all looked at her as if she had insulted their family honor. She grinned at them and waved before she walked away to put her tray up.

Kel walked briskly to her room and changed into her practice clothes, consisting of a thin white shirt, breeches, and boots. She needed something to get her relaxed so she headed towards the practice courts, hoping to find someone willing to a match. She walked onto one of the courts to find it empty; she sighed and sat down on the grass pondering the conversation.

"They never talk like that, it was definitely a change." She thought aloud.

"So you admit things change?" Dom's voice came from behind her.

"Don't you know already? I never admit when I'm wrong." Kel replied jokingly.

"I can't believe I didn't recognize you." He said.

"Well I can't believe you flirted with me like some noble lady you were trying to catch." Kel admitted.

"Like I told you, we noble servants of the realm are notorious for it."

"Not all …" She said, "Don't forget I'm a 'noble servant of the realm', too.'

"I include you in the same category. You're just as bad as us."

"The Goddess! I never flirt with anyone."

_Where is he going with this ridiculous argument? I wish I could just brush that piece of hair out of his eyes- wait! No, I don't! I wish I could beat him to a bloody pulp for talking such nonsense!_ She thought.

"Maybe you didn't use to, but even at breakfast this morning, you were flirting, and bad too. I wouldn't have kept going if you hadn't played along, and you know it." He said. Kel shrugged and stood up, trying to avoid the topic.

"Do you want to do some hand-to-hand combat with me?" Kel asked, needed some physical work and trying to change the subject.

"No thanks. I don't feel like dying for at least another ten years, but thanks anyway."

"Men are such babies!" she said. She turned around and walked towards the stables and her beloved gelding, Peachblossom.

* * *

Prowling KitKat was astute enough to point out my slight mistranslation from modern day English to pig Latin. As it turns out, we were both incorrect. I like to learn from my mistakes, so I looked it up on the web.  
- Words that start with a vowel (A, E, I, O, U) simply have "WAY" appended to the end of the word.  
-Words that start with a consonant have all consonant letters up to the first vowel moved to the end of the word (as opposed to just the first consonant letter), and "AY" is appended. ('Y' is counted as a vowel in this context.)

So, there! You learned something today. Aren't you proud of yourself? Keep reviewing, and maybe I'll teach you some more interesting facts to know and tell.

Eviewray! Eviewray! Eviewray! And- May the rumors spread quickly through the hallways of your life. =o)


	3. New Faces, Old Faces, Red Fish, Blue Fis...

---Okay y'all; I'm going to try to explain my reasoning for a couple of things (this may take a second). Yes! I realize that Kel and Neal were together at both Haven and New Hope and that she wouldn't have changed so much that he wouldn't recognize her. But, in the last chapter, when he knocked her down, he wasn't really looking at her. He was in a hurry, with his mind somewhere else, and he just glimpsed a female form in a dress. Also- if you'll notice, it only takes him a few seconds to realize his mistake. Now, when Dom doesn't recognize Kel, he's seeing the back of her. She plays along but, again, it's only for a short time. Kel is still Kel; she hasn't changed into a beautiful court or boy-crazy lady. Okay? That was for all of y'all who kept saying that Neal would recognize her (which he does…. see?). So, with that…here is another chapter to add to the story. Hopefully, y'all'll (that means you all will- and it's correct Georgian grammar, thank you very much =] ) enjoy this chapter enough to tell me so. ----Onward!!

You're Not a Little Girl Anymore- Chapter 3

She walked into the stables and into Peachblossom's stall, giving him a kiss on the muzzle.

"How you doing boy?" she cooed to him. He blew in response. Her large horse had an attitude with most people, but he suited Kel perfectly. She sometimes thought of him as her hidden temper. She brushed him down and tacked him up in his tilting saddle before she led him outside into the quintain ring, which was empty of knights in training at the moment.

_Must be my lucky day: no pages, no audience; just Peachblossom and me. Perfect._

She mounted up with her lance, which isn't the easiest thing in the world to do, and stretched out her arms as she viewed the targets. She hadn't tilted in over a year, due to the time spent on the war. She decided on the easiest target; if you hit the shield correctly, it swung around behind you. If you hit it incorrectly, the sand bag thumped you in the back. She stationed her horse in front of it and said "Charge." Peachblossom used voice commands only, never the spur. Keladry felt at peace as she felt the horse's muscles move under her. She positioned her lance and struck the shield dead center, letting her ride pass without bruises.

"You're pathetic," she told herself. "That was too easy, and you know it." She positioned her horse in front of the advanced target. It was a willow ring that floated with the winter winds of late November. As she rolled her neck then set her lance in position, she saw Jump trot over from the palace and stand by a pole.

"You always know what I'm doing, don't you?" The dog scratched his lone ear and wagged his twice broken tail in reply. "Peachblossom, charge."

The horse's feet thundered towards the target and Kel raised her lances tip up to the target and _SNAP!_ The willow ring broke off of its string. Kel flung the ring from the tip of her lance into the air, something that took a lot of effort and practice, and Jump chased after it then leaped in the air to retrieve his prize. Kel shook her head as she dismounted her horse to lead him over to the railing. Jump ran over with his tail wagging proudly. "You're not the beauty you think you are." She informed him. She turned her horse and noticed a group of five men leaning on the rail. Keladry hated when people gathered to watch her joust, although it seemed to happen almost every time.

"We're sorry if we interrupted you, lady. But that horse and you are amazing to watch." One of the men said. Kel ducked her head; she didn't take compliments very well.

"Forgive me, sirs, but I don't believe I know your names." she said, putting a polite smile on her face.

"The name's Lofren, m'lady. And this is Symric, Fulcher, and Emmet," one of the men said. As he introduced them, she recognized their faces, except for a young man who seemed to be staring at nothing.

"We're in the King's Own." Symric supplied.

"I thought I recognized you. And you should know better than to call me a lady." She turned to the silent one. "I don't remember you from the King's Own."

"That's because he's not, m'lady." Emmet said, earning a glare from Kel.

"He's trainin' t' become a mage." Fulcher said teasingly.

"Is there something wrong sir?" Kel asked, when the brunette didn't say anything.

"No, m' lady. Thom's just being shy, for once." Fulcher said, grinning at the title that made Keladry glare. The man heard his name and, as if this were a question of his honor, the young man straightened up and turned to Kel.

"I am Thom of Pirate's Swoop, Lady Keladry. I'm sorry if I seemed rude; I was daydreaming." The man sheepishly admitted. His eyes had a violet tint to them, she had just noticed since his red hair had blocked the light from them.

"You're the Lioness' son." Kel said.

"Well spotted!" Thom said jokingly. She flashed him her sarcastic grin, which was starting to be a habit of hers. He stepped forward to offer a handshake as he said, "I truthfully thought you'd be more like my mother. But I guess I'm glad you're not. I don't think I'd want a friend just like my ma."

She accepted his handshake as she said, "Haven't you heard already? She and I are both eleven feet tall."

"Of course, the estimate's not so far off in your case. How else would you have won the war?" He replied.

"I did no such thing. Either you're highly misinformed or you're trying to use flattery as a way not to get bruised on the practice courts." She said to him. "Practice courts?" Thom asked, confused.

"It's something all my other friends have to endure. If you're going to be my friend, why should you be any different?" she asked with mock seriousness. As if to add to that point, Peachblossom snapped his jaws closed about an inch away from Thom's arm.

"Well, then!" he said laughing. Kel liked him; he seemed like a fun person to be around, even though he was about a year younger than her.

"If you two can stop flirting for a moment," Lofren interrupted jokingly. Kel and Thom were about to protest to that comment, but he cut them off with a smile, "It's almost time for lunch. We'll be on our way." Kel rolled her eyes and turned her horse towards the stables. She had walked him about half way there when Thom appeared beside her with her lance.

"Forget something?" She reached for it but he pulled it out of her reach. "I'll carry it," Thom said.

"There's really no need…"

Thom interrupted her, " Let's get going, I'm hungry."

Kel rolled her eyes again and shook her head, but started walking.

As they walked into the stables, Kel tried to think of something to say.

"So, how old are you?" Kel inquired, mentally slapping herself for asking such a dumb question.

"I'll turn nineteen next month," said Thom then cast her a questioning look.

"I'm nineteen right now," Kel replied. She didn't know what else to say. Kel thanked the gods when they had finally reached Peachblossom's stall, for the silence was becoming awkward. She unsaddled Peachblossom and used a currycomb to quickly brush him down. She placed a few flakes of hay in the gelding's food troth and then turned to Thom. He handed Kel her lance.

"You really didn't have to carry that, you know." Kel said while placing the long weapon upon the rack on the wall.

"I know. I just felt like annoying you." Thom replied, with a roguish smirk.

"Really? Well, good job." Kel said while closing the gate to Peachblossom's stall.

"You ready to go?" Thom asked.

"Yes, but you shouldn't have waited for me." She said with exasperation. They began to briskly walk towards the palace.

" I know. I just felt like annoying you."

"I think I'm seeing a trend here." They both laughed. "So, why are you here?" Kel asked. " I mean, not that I'm not glad that you are; I mean…I'm just going to stop now." Kel shook her head at herself.

"That's probably a good idea." Thom responded with a grin as they reached the entryway of the palace. "Well, I'm training to become a mage under the instruction of Master Numair. He was called to the palace, and where he goes- I follow."

"Well, this is my hall." Kel said as they reached the hall leading to her rooms.

"I'd ask if you wanted me to walk you there, but I don't feel like bearing the wrath of an extremely annoyed…" He trailed off.

"Knight," Kel supplied.

"Woman," Thom retorted before walking away, laughing.

Kel headed towards her room. When she reached the door, she placed the key in the lock and whispered her name before realizing her mistake. She no longer needed a password to enter her rooms. It was highly unlikely that anyone would destroy her things as they had done when she was a page. She walked in and washed her face before changing out of her sweaty clothes. She pulled on a pair of cream breeches and a light blue shirt with a small embroidery of Kel's insignia: a gray owl and cream glaives on the front. Lalasa, Kel's former maid, close friend, and a skilled seamstress, had been insistent about adding the needlework to almost all of the lady knight's shirts and tunics.

As Kel walked out of her room, remembering to lock it behind her, she was tackled from behind. She quickly pushed up into a fighting stance only to see a familiar face. She saw a glimpse of red before the 'attacker' had captured her hands behind her back. Kel tried to squirm out of the man's hold and elbowed him lightly. He released her and she saw laughter in his gray eyes that she had become accustomed to over their many years together. She jokingly punched at him, but he anticipated it just in time to duck underneath her arm. He smiled at her and winked.

"Oh, my blossom, my pearl- are you losing your touch?" Cleon of Kennan asked mockingly. Kel stopped and stood still. Cleon was Kel's old sweetheart, but he was married to Ermelian of Aminar now.

"Cleon…I- you're married. You shouldn't call me those names anymore." Kel said quietly.

"Why? I called you those names when you were just a 'probationary page'. You're still my best friend Kel. At least, I thought you were. Have you gone and gotten a new best friend behind my back? Oh! For shame!" Cleon grabbed her by the shoulders with a pained expression on his faced then stepped back and grinned. "Kel, I know things are different between us, but can't I still try to make you smile?" He asked. Kel looked at him for a moment before pulling him into a big hug.

"I guess I did miss you. But, I have news for you. Neal's my best friend. How could you ever think otherwise?" Kel stated mockingly. Then she playfully punched him in the stomach. "So, how IS Ermelian?"

"She really is something Kel. She's beautiful, smart, funny. I think I may come to love her. Maybe if she and I had met under different circumstances I would already. It's just…" Cleon hesitated.

"Just what?" Kel asked.

"Nothing."

"No, tell me. That's what best friends are for."

"It's just that she's not you Kel," Cleon admitted. Kel was quiet for a moment before she responded.

"Maybe that's a good thing. Do you really want a wife who can pummel you from here to next midwinter?"

"Good point. As a matter of fact, do I really want a _friend_ who can pummel me from here till next midwinter?" Cleon asked himself, as if pondering. Kel just stood there with her arms crossed in front of her. "I guess I need a pummeling every now and then-to keep me humble, I suppose." Cleon grinned.

Kel shook her head before inquiring, "Now that that's sorted out, are you coming to lunch with me?"

"Of course, just so I can be in your radiant presence for a moment longer!" He responded. They both laughed and headed for the mess hall. They walked towards the door and Cleon opened it and bowed Kel in. She sent him an annoyed look. He chuckled but waited for her to enter first. She sighed but walked through.

"You're incorrigible." Kel stated before walking to the line to get her tray of food. She loaded it with ham, cheese, some vegetables, and bread then waited for Cleon to do the same. She looked over the expanse of the hall and saw Neal wave his arm to signal them. The two knights walked towards the table. Neal, Merric, Seaver, and a few other knights sat at the table. Kel and Cleon placed their trays down and began to sit down.

Almost as soon as Kel touched the bench, the doors made a noise as they opened. Lord Wyldon of Cavall walked in and her whole table stood up immediately. She noticed that the rest of the mess hall, including Lord Wyldon, was staring at them. Then she remembered that Wyldon wasn't the training master any more, and felt rather sheepish for their forgetfulness. It was simply habit. All of those at her table were knights and, although they hadn't been pages or squires for over a year, he would always be their training master. Wyldon just stood there shaking his head with a disapproving look, as he had often done when they were pages. Neal took the opportunity to live up to his reputation of being the center of attention.

"M'lord," Neal bowed deeply and all of the others got the idea and a murmur of 'm'lord's along with laughter was heard as the whole table bowed. The whole table, that is, except for Kel. She was trying so hard to keep her Yamani mask in place without laughing, that she was a step behind the others in their bows and also came up just as the others were sitting down. Wyldon eyes rested on her and he walked over to the table as she finally sat down.

"You're insolent, all of you." He said with dignity. He then turned to Kel. "Keladry, it is good to see you well. Congratulations on your victory." She stood up and bowed to Lord Wyldon of Cavall, her training master, her sometimes hero, and her cause of total embarrassment at that moment.

"Don't you mean 'our' victory, m'lord?" She replied with her 'Yamani' face.

"Still as modest as ever, I see. Very well, it is still good to see you well." He turned and walked to the front table to take his seat next to Lord Padraig haMinch

"Can she eat now, then?" Neal called jokingly across the hall. Kel shoved him aside and sat down to her food.

* * *

Thank you to all of my reviewers for the last chapter: ProwlingKitKat, Alianne Cooper, Nolee of Stone Mountain, Mango Sam, Kelly Masbolle, oceanspike, Trickstergal33, The Final Stillness of Saturn, Lady Page, crystalambaia, ossini, chicken-puffs, shinadagami, Rat Child G, flashrider, dreamerdoll, LiLy MaLfoy13, and CTHKSI. Y'all are the best! Special thanks to those that are being patient with my slight incompetence of mastering the art of actually posting. The whole "save it to this, then do that"...well, I kept messing up. But I think I've got it now. BTW- Is anyone else psyched that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban comes out tomorrow?! I am...incase you couldn't tell. James Phelps (Fred Weasley) is so hott! hehe- anywayz...I hope you all have a marvelous day (or night!). Don't get into too much trouble!!

And- May the rumors spread quickly through the hallways of your life. =o)


	4. Timing and Twittering

Y'all, I am really sorry about not updating sooner. The thing is- I'm about to take my horse to a trainer and leave him there for a few weeks, and I've been spending most of my time with him. I'll try to post soon with chapter five, so don't start cursing me into oblivion, yet. I'm really sorry to those of you who love Dom (and I'm included in that group), because he isn't in this chapter. A certain red-headed son of a lady knight and a former thief king will, though. I really hope y'all enjoy this chapter. It's not super-long, but it's all I've got right now. I'm righting this story as I go, and I don't want to leave it un-updated for a long time-hence, the un-lengthy chapters. Now, on with the twisted output of my mind that is disguised as a story...

You're Not a Little Girl Anymore- Chapter 4

"Can she eat now, then?" Neal called jokingly across the hall. Kel shoved him aside and sat down to her food. The males around her talked while she ate ravenously. She stopped eating when she realized that the rest of the table was silent. Kel looked up and saw them all looking at her.

"What?" She asked exasperatedly. They all looked at each other before Merric spoke up.

"It's just...Mithros Kel! You're eating enough for two people. Why are you so hungry all of the sudden?" Kel looked down at her plate, which was almost empty now. She supposed she had been eating more than usual due to her monthlies. The thought of telling her friends, her _male_ friends, that piece of information was enough to make Kel blush…and that was saying something.

"Boys," Kel began, causing all of the men to glare, "I'm just under a lot of stress, okay? You all know that I hate being at court." They all settled down at that, but Neal looked unconvinced.

"Kel, I'm the healer here. I've never known you to eat because of stress. What aren't you telling us?" Those comments made the group start thinking again. Out of nowhere, Seaver asked something that would change Kel's life.

"Kel, are you pregnant?" He was extremely ill timed, because there had been a pause in conversation from surrounding tables at that moment. Cleon reached over and smacked the back of Seaver's head.

"Oh…sorry." Seaver muttered. The hall was silent for an instant before the murmuring broke out. Kel just sat in shock- knowing that the rumors were already spreading. Kel was not new to rumors about her love life. This, however, was to top them all. Kel stood up and walked out of the hall towards the stables. She wanted to be alone and away from the wondering stares that she was receiving. As she passed a doorway she heard the giggling of several women. She stopped and, against her better judgment, listened into their conversation.

"Really? How did hear that?" A lady's voice asked excitedly.

"My maid was in the kitchens and she came to me as soon as she heard," was the reply.

"So it's true, then?" A nasal voice questioned. "The Lady Knight is pregnant." Kel's eyes widened as she realized exactly whom they were talking about. She turned and walked briskly outside, trying to escape the women's giggling and gossiping. She felt like pounding Seaver thoroughly. However, despite his mistake, he was still Kel's friend and she new that if he came within range of her fists, she would probably regret her actions later. Keladry walked outside towards the refuge of the stables and gazed at the ground while thoughts raced through her head.

_'Great. Perfect. No telling what stories they are spreading through the halls. It's ironic, really. By trying to evade an embarrassing moment, I have possibly destroyed what little good reputation I had. Who will they say is the father? Perhaps my ex-lover, Cleon, is to blame. Oh no! Of course, it would be my old knight master Sir Raoul. There had to be a reason he picked me as his squire.'_ Kel ranted to herself. She got so caught up in her sarcasm that she didn't realize that she began to speak aloud.

"No, those are too obvious. Ah, of course! The father is Thom of Pirate's Swoop." Kel says to the air, before mocking a court lady, " 'Can you _believe_ her? She's known the man for a day, and already she's shared his bed.'" Kel took a breath to continue her imitation. With her eyes on the ground, she ran into something solid and fell to the ground. Kel looked up to see Thom grinning down on her. He reached down his hand to help her up and she grudgingly accepted.

"Oh, Keladry! It pains me to think upon it." Thom said in an overly dramatic way.

"Think upon…what?" Kel inquired, with a sense of suspicion.

"That I was too drunk to remember what was undoubtedly the best night of my life!" He flashed her a smirk before grabbing her hand and pressing it against his heart. He looked skyward in his best impression of a love stricken, pained expression. Just Kel's luck, a group of twittering ladies walked by at that moment. They stopped for a moment and gasped before hurrying on their way. Kel looked angrily at Thom for an instant before hitting him on the chest.

"You…you're...just…_ugh_!" Kel sighed outwardly in frustration.

"What?" Thom asked innocently. "I just heard that 'the Lady Knight' was pregnant and, seeing as how my mother is married with children already, I deduced that they must be talking about you. It's not my fault."

"No! You just added fire to the flame! " Kel replied, before getting a smug look on her face that caused Thom to look confused. "But, I really shouldn't worry. You should be the one worrying. You, a man on the way to becoming a powerful mage-" Thom interrupted her.

"I'm already a powerful-" Kel continued her tirade.

"-the son of the realm's King's Champion, fathering a child out of wedlock. To make matters worse, you're the father of the child of the only living female knight of Tortall besides your very own mother. Tsk, tsk. What will the lords and ladies of our noble kingdom say?" Kel stared into his eyes with a fake concerned expression. Thom glared at her playfully for a second before answering.

"I'm not sure. But it was worth it."

Kel groaned in exasperation prior to asking him, "Why do you take it upon yourself to make my existence more painful, after knowing me only a day?"

Thom's retort sounded agonizingly familiar. "I just felt like annoying you." He winked at her before walking around her towards the palace gardens.

"That tongue of yours is going to get you into trouble." Kel called after him.

Thom turned around and countered, "Kel! Honestly, love- isn't that how we got into this mess?" Kel watched him saunter away then spun around to go to her original destination of the stables. She was shocked, though, to see a group of pages that had observed Thom's antics. One opened his mouth to speak, but the extremely irritated lady knight stopped the page from spouting the comment.

"Just…don't. If you all want to live to become squires, just don't." Kel warned before walking pointedly past them.

* * *

Don't worry. Kel isn't going to become pissed off at everyone for breathing, it was just a few pages. BTW- It was SO hard to say "You all.." in this chapter. I kept having to retype it. Oh well. I just wanted to let y'all know that I am open to suggestions about what you think should happen, or who Kel should end up with, or maybe another minor character you want me to include in the fic (a real, Tamora Pierce written one, though). I hope y'all still review- it's so much fun to read what y'all have to say- even when it's not necessarily about the fic.

Thanks to**Nolee of Stone Mountain  
oceanspike  
dreamerdoll  
Alianne Cooper  
Suzie-blue-shoes  
ProwlingKitKat  
Kelly Masbolle  
ossini  
Artemis Teranika Ryann  
rachel32  
Mango Sam  
Rubber Duck  
sYaOrAnRoXmiSoX  
The Final Stillness of Saturn  
Squirrel Maiden of Green  
jazy716  
Lady-kitty  
Kore Yan  
Trickster's-Lulaby  
Sunrise Daughter  
warrior of tortall  
**and to all those who read this story and didn't bother to review. I'm still glad that you read my fic,...even if you are lazy. I mean- honestly. Just a little click and a little comment...p-p-pwease?

My closing phrase in everyone's favorite language: pig-latin.  
-- Aymay ethay umorsray eadspray icklyquay oughthray ethay allwayshay ofway ouryay ifelay.

P.S- Eviewray? Ustjay ickclay atthay ittlelay ilaclay uttonbay.


	5. Difficult Doors and Dairy Dreams

Okay y'all- first of all, I'm really sorry that it took so long for me to update this. I've been at an all girl's camp for the past week. I can't tell you how happy I was when we stopped by a Chick Fillet on the way home and their were guys there. It was the best part of my week! Second- Even though it seems that none of you noticed, or either failed to mention it (for which I am grateful), I did make a small mistake in chapter three. I stated that Thom had a tint of violet to his eyes, which is completely incorrect. He doesn't continue the Trebond eye legacy. He has his father's- George- eyes, which are greenish hazel (if anyone is dying to know). There's a thanks to all of my totally awesome reviewers at the bottom. I can't believe I reached the 75 mark (SeaStar)! I hope y'all enjoy this chapter- I had a whole bunch of fun writing it. The next chapter will most likely be posted much sooner. I have about two weeks free for writing and then I have a youth conference thing at church (and my birthday on July the 16th!) and then I have 2 weeks of band camp. Yes, go ahead and laugh! HA-HA...are you done, now? Besides, I'm not totally in the band. I'm in the color guard (or flag core), that's why I have two weeks and the actual band only has one (grumble-grumble). Anyway- Now that those of you who bothered to read about my life (and put up with all of the parentheses), are done- there is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer reference in here. I couldn't help myself; I'm a bit obsessed. (All hail Joss Whedon!) See if y'all can find it...you'll only see it if you saw the episode it comes from, though. Alrighty then!! Onward with mindless jabber with a facade of a story! Charge!!!!

You're Not a Little Girl Anymore- Chapter 5

After calming down while sitting in the peace of the stables, with nothing but the horses and the sounds of munching, Keladry began to walk the pathway back to the palace. She entered the palace and kept walking to her rooms. About to turn the corner into the hall in which her rooms were located, Kel stopped as she heard an exasperated voice.

"Come on, Kel! I know you're in there. It's really not THAT bad. So-yes, alright- almost the whole palace probably thinks that what everyone has always said about you is true now. But the important thing is that you know different, Kel-unless it is true. You would tell me, right? I mean- I'm your best friend. You wouldn't keep something this important from me. Kel? Let me in! Come on, stop being so stubborn and open this door," Neal ranted and raved to the piece of wood. During his tirade, Kel walked up behind her best friend of many years.

"Alright, fine; I just don't see what the big deal is Neal." Kel reached around him and unlocked her door before walking inside and turning around to look into his green eyes. Neal stood sheepishly for a moment before brushing past Kel through the doorway. Kel rolled her eyes in annoyance before shutting the door. She turned around and faced the man sitting in one of her chairs.

"Something you wanted to say Nealan?" Kel asked with her arms crossed in front of her. He looked annoyed at the use of his full first name before remembering that Kel wasn't in the mood to here his complaints.

Neal rushed into an explanation, "I just wanted to check on you. Then you wouldn't open the door and I thought you were mad at me and then I thought that maybe the reason you wouldn't open the door was because you really ARE pregnant and I'm just going to be quiet now." Neal trailed off when he noticed Keladry's cold stare. She just looked at him in silence. "So…are you going to the feast tonight? Never mind. That was a dumb question. Everyone's going to the feast tonight, I mean…I'm just going to be quiet, again." He was saved from the unbearable silence by the bell alerting everyone that it was four hours past noonday. Neal raced past Kel with a quick 'I've got to be…somewhere that's not here,' and closed the door behind him. Kel looked over to her window where sparrows looked back at her.

"Years of living with them and doing the things they do, and I still don't understand men," Kel confessed to her small confidants. She walked to the door and locked it before pulling off her boots and falling into bed. Kel smiled as she saw a questioning head quirk from what had -only seconds before- been a sleeping mass of fur. "I'm tired, Jump. Gossip and giggling ladies have left me wanting a nap." Jump laid his head down on his paws as if to say, 'I concur'. Kel laid her head down on her pillow before drifting into Gainel's domain.

_----Kel walked through a quiet hall. She halted when she reached a large oak door. She turned the handle and walked over to a crib in the middle of the room. She looked down at the baby, sighing in relief that her son had finally gone to sleep. Keladry turned abruptly when her ears perceived loud footsteps hurrying to the room. Her body tensed up in apprehension but relaxed when she realized whom the footsteps belonged to. Sir Cleon of Kennan and Sir Raoul of Goldenlake walked into the room. Kel's relieved smile faded when she realized that they both looked angry._

_"When did you plan on telling me that I had a son?" Raoul questioned with malice. Kel just gaped in shock._

_"Mithros' spear! The child is obviously mine. I was her first kiss; it only makes sense that I would be the first to-" Cleon was cut off by a gaggle of ladies strolling into the room. Keladry stood motionless, trying to process what was happening and what everyone was saying._

_"Should have known…"_

_"Honestly… a disgrace to the kingdom…"_

_"She WAS my squire for four years. Why else would I have taken on a girl?"_

_"Who knows how many other children she's had through out these years…"_

_"Yeah, but I was her-her-her lover! That's right, Commander of the King's Own. Try to beat that!" Kel was becoming overwhelmed with all of the voices in the room. Her son started to stir and she picked him up from the crib to cradle him._

_"Could you all please quiet down? I just got him to sleep and once he starts crying…" Kel was cut off by a ladies' reprimanding tone._

_"See that? She can't even take care of her own child." Kel began walking towards the door to escape all of the accusations but was blocked by a bald man holding a platter full of sliced cheese. He took one and placed it on his head. She looked at him confused and backed away as her son began to wail in her arms._

_"Always knew she'd end up this way…"_

_"I'm telling you, you're too young for her. She likes older men…"_

_"…probably end up as an orphan…"_

_"…and they say that she's a hero of the realm!"_

_"I wear the cheese; it doesn't wear me!"_

_"Think rationally, 'Oh, great commander!'. It's obvious that she likes redheads…" Kel looked for an escape from the rants of the other occupants of the room in vain. She began to panic when her salvation came in the form of an unrecognizable man._

_"Quiet! How dare you come into my home unbidden and disturb my son's sleep!" He came over to Kel and gently took the baby from her arms. He turned and noticed that no one had left, yet. "Was I speaking Carthaki? Get out." He glared until everyone but the bald man with a strange fixation for cheese had scurried out of the room._

_"But where will I put the cheese?" He questioned with hopeful eyes. The mysterious man laughed before directing the cheese man to go to the kitchens. He then turned back to Kel, with the infant fast asleep in his arms. She tried to distinguish who the man was, for he seemed very familiar. He turned and tenderly placed the child into his crib. He then turned to Kel and pulled her into a loving embrace. She felt perfectly content to stay in the unidentified man's arms._

_"Thank you for sending them away. Why didn't you just tell that strange man to leave, though? Now he'll probably never leave our kitchens." Kel mockingly scorned the man. Her mind kept prompting her to ask who he was, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything that might cause her to leave his comforting hold. The man grinned and moved his head closer to Kel's. His lips inched closer and closer to her own, until they were scant millimeters apart. As he closed the space between them, and as Kel was about to receive the most heavenly kiss that she had ever received, he whispered six words that would cause Keladry to wake up gasping for breath in confusion._

_"I just felt like annoying you."_

* * *

You like? I hope so. Just a note for those who were confused. Remember that it was a _dream. _There are always some weird unexplainable things in dreams, as well as foretelling...'wooo' creepy music sounds. Also for those of you, and I'm sure there are a few, who don't know- Gainel is the Master of Dreams. He's one of the great gods and he's mentioned in the last book of _The Immortals_ quartet entitled The Realms of the Gods. He's always been a favorite character of mine and I'm thinking about doing a story with him as a main character after I finish this one, of course! To those who reviewed chapter four:

**oceanspike- **Oh, stop! You're making me blush!  
**chica-** Thank you, kindly!  
**The Final Stillness of Saturn-** Yes, stupid boys. She is using all of her will to refrain from the serious butt kicking that she is obviously entitled to.  
**Skysong-** No way; _you_ so totally rock!  
**rachel132-** I applaud your aspiring use of paralogistic phraseology and it dawns upon me to inquire as to what 'spendor' means...lol! Just joshin! You are so 'spendor' (it's a new word, i've decided).  
**sYaOrAnRoXmiSox-** Thanks! I liked the imitation, too. "That's probably why you wrote it, you dumb ditz!" Shut up, Bob!!...sorry, Bob was making fun of me again. Erm, so...yeah.  
**ProwlingKitKat-**Lol! She didn't say no because even Kel gets shocked sometimes.  
**Alianne Cooper-** Just FYI- Kel has a good chance of ending up with Thom.. It's possible that she'll end up with Dom, but those are the only two possibilities. I hope you won't forsake my story, though!  
**Sunrise Daughter-** Oh, my gosh! It's your name again, AND I wrote something to you! I think this might be a little longer. But, either way, I'll update sooner.  
**chicken-puffs- **Sorry! I'm slow, I can't help it!!  
**Squirrel Maiden of Green-** Yeah, it started because of what Seaver said. You know how sometimes you're talking and there's a moment of complete silence before someone says," It's too quiet."? Well- he said it in one of those times, so everyone heard him.  
**Lady-kitty- **Well now, you'll just have to keep reading to find out. Won't you? Heh- honestly, you made me think of a path I hadn't thought of before. You've made me rethink my plot! Curses on you, Lady-kitty!!!!  
**Lady Page- **Thanks for the review. I'll update sooner next time.  
**elements-of-the-soul- **Wow! I'm so flattered! Although, I would NEVER say 'youse' (shudder). It's not in my vocabulary. Y'all is just a Southern conjunction of the words you and all. Similar to a slurring, it's simply part of my native dialect. Thank you for the awesome review! You're the best!  
**ossini-** Heh...erm, question! What does PMSL stand for? Or do I want to know?  
**Nolee of Stone Mountain- **Can you guess the most probable pairing from this chapter? I hope so!  
**Kore Yan- **Yay! Someone thinks I'm funny! I bow down in dubmissiveness for my extremely overdue update. Forgive me?  
**Lilliana-Rose-** That's such a pretty name! And, does this chapter answer your question? I can't promise, but you can live in hope.  
**Trickstergal33- **Thanks! I am in LOVE with George, so it's a real compliment that you saw him in Thom. You're awesome!  
**SurfAngel- **Yes, in my story atleast, Kel is a virgin...at the moment. (wink) Anyway- Thom is annoying because it's he likes to see Kel riled up...he's just quirky like that. lol  
**Red Queen Kai- **Thank you bunches! I bow down to the queen of my favorite color and ask fogiveness for my late updated-ness.  
**mondo-** Thank ya's!   
**SeaStar**- YAY! Go you!! You're my 75th reviewer!! I'm a bit confused, though. You didn't know that I could do...what? Anywayz- you were lucky, because you reviewed the day I updated. Good timing,....unlike Seaver (ignorant boys). Review again!

And, as always, another thank-you (though slightly smaller than the ones above) to all of my lazy readers out there. Even though you were too much of a sloth to click the little lilac button and type a few words......grr....I love y'all anyway.

* * *

For all those who guess the BtVS reference, e-mail me and I'll send you candy! Not real candy...pictures of candy....but, still, it's something- right?

Pig Latin Time!!-Aymay ethay umorsmay eadspray uicklyquay oughthray ethay allwayshay ofhay ouryay ifelay.

Have any of you played the game where you try to get people to smile by saying, "Honey, if you love me, give me a little smile," ? Well, here's my version of it.

Reviewer, if you want another chapter, give me a little review....hehe.

I'd just like to end with a fact about my native and home state of Georgia. In our capital, Atlanta, it is illegal to tie a giraffe to a street lamp or telephone pole....y'all just keep that in mind.


	6. Introductions and Indecision

First of all- let's just get this over with---stands with her arms out as she is hit repeatedly with tomatoes and squash and other various produce that go 'squish'--...better?

Okay- now for some explanations. (Y'all should read this- it's entertaining and overly-dramatic!) I realize that it has been two weeks since my last confession- I mean update…oops, sorry. I've been watching Zorro (y'know- with Antonio Banderes …erm…yes, well...anyway). Like I was saying, I had this family reunion thing around July 4th, then I went to this rodeo and spent a day watching the trainer rope calves off of my horse (my horse is being trained for roping), and then I had a few days free and I was completely stuck. I couldn't think of how to get into what I wanted to write. Then comes my day of inspiration. I was doing a carwash fundraiser for our school's color guard (which I am in) and as I was walking through the grass to get a bucket of water and soapy suds…my mother's (and therefore, my) bad luck lashed out. Hidden in the grass, nestled in between the weeds, lay a large and thick plastic pipe. All would have been well…if it wasn't broken off and jagged on the top. I, unaware of the pain that was to befall upon me, walked over the pipe and the front of my foot slipped into the hole. My foot slipped off of my lilac-colored flip-flop, and onto an ever pointy jagged edge. You know that sound Jello makes when it's in its little tub and you take you spoon and pry said Jello away from said tub? (If you don't go try it, and find out.) Well, that disgusting sound was the sound that my foot made as it was cut into and gouged by the intruder called sharp jagged edge. Now, I- ever the drama queen- acted uncharacteristically of me by putting a bucket over it so that no one would befall the same fate as me…before yelling, "Mom!!" Ladies, and the unlikely few gents that are reading this, my mom thought I was over-reacting like normal and asks if it was gushing blood…which it was. After waiting till the carwash was over, procrastinating on my part. I had to get a tetanus shot. (I am scared of needles, BTW). So I got my shot and now- not only does my foot hurt- but also now my arm feels like it's going to fall off because of that shot. Yet- this experience and the song "Disease" by matchbox twenty- have strangely gotten me out of my writer's block. So here is an average size chapter, but the next chapter is almost done. It will be posted later today or tomorrow. I recommend listening to "By the Way" by Red Hot Chili Peppers while reading this chapter because- well- just because I like that song. Hopefully this chapter is good, since it [6] is my favorite number.

You're Not a Little Girl Anymore- Chapter 6

Keladry sat up quickly in her bed. She was struggling to catch her breath, confused as to why she was at a shortage of it. Then she recalled her strange and slightly disturbing dream.

_Right- as if that would really happen_- Kel thought.

She stood up beside the bed and stretched her arms above her head. As she heard a miniscule sound to her right, she looked upon her blanket and saw that Jump had taken her sleeping position. Kel grinned at her lovable dog before wondering how long she had slept and how much time she had before dinner. As if answering her silent questions, the bell rang out- indicating that it was a mere fifteen minutes before the seventh hour.

Kel rushed over to her clothes trunk and pulled out her finest breeches, shirt, and tunic. She quickly slipped into her light blue breeches that had a soft shimmer to them. A silk shirt of the same material was tucked into the top of her breeches. A crisp, cream tunic with the Mindelan coat of arms and silver bordering completed the ensemble. Kel brushed her hair back before pulling it all into a braid. She then pulled on her polished boots prior to leaving her room. As she walked out of her door she was surprised to see a small group of men standing there. She started grinning as she recognized Neal, Seaver, Cleon, and Merric standing in front of her at attention.

"Ready for inspection, General!" The four male knights stood still for a moment before grinning.

"We thought that you might like a flashback to your ever-painful-for-us-because-of-you childhood," Neal explained. Kel looked them over in mock seriousness.

"Well," Kel replied, " I don't see any problems that are in my power to remedy. After all, I am a female- not a god." She then walked past them toward the dining hall. "Are you boys coming anytime soon?" They all ran to catch up with the female knight.

"Kel! Honestly, I'm hurt. First you suggest that we are unhandsome, and now you call us 'boys'! We are men- strong and fearless," Seaver proclaimed. He flinched when she shot him a glare that had the power to make Mithros cringe.

"Seaver- just be glad that after your extremely loud and unwarranted comment this morning, you can still be considered a male. Actually, I'm still considering my course of action," Keladry remarked with an unnervingly calm tone. Cleon jumped to Kel's side as the crowd continued walking on the way to dinner.

" My blossom; my pearl; my dove- Please remember that I had absolutely nothing to do with this," Cleon implored. A snort escaped as Merric tried to contain his laughter at the redhead's antics. Kel finally began to laugh with the rest of the group when Cleon continued to shower her with the flowery names from their younger years. They all stopped laughing, however, when a pretty noble woman with light brown hair and bright blue eyes confronted them.

" Cleon dear, I heard the most outrageous rumor about you today," the woman glanced at Kel. "Then again, maybe it wasn't as outrageous as I thought…" Kel looked confused as Cleon scampered over to the lady with a some-what nervous smile on his face.

"Neal, Merric, Seaver, Kel- this is Ermelian of Arminar…my wife," Cleon continued, "My love, this is Sir Nealan of Queenscove, Sir Merric of Hollyrose, Sir Seaver of Tasride, and Sir Keladry of Mindelan." Each knight bowed as they were introduced. "Now, dear- what was this rumor about me that you were speaking of?" Cleon questioned to Ermelian. The lady shot Kel a withering glare before turning to her husband.

" One of the other lady's maid was in the kitchen during lunch today and overheard a rumor about Sir Keladry of Mindelan being with child." Cleon and Kel turned to glare at a quivering Seaver. "I brushed it off, of course. There is always gossip concerning the female fighters of our realm, no matter how chaste they may be," with that comment Keladry's opinion of the upset woman raised a fraction, "But…later today I heard something unsettling. One of my close friends, who hates spreading rumors as much as I do, heard Sir Keladry muttering to herself about you being the father," at this Cleon turned to Kel in shock as Ermelian continued, " Now, Cleon- I'm trying to be reasonable; Really, I am. So, just tell me that there isn't now, and there never was, anything between you two- and I'll take your word." Cleon's wife was now looking at him with despair as he hesitated. Kel knew that she his silence was making the situation worse. Even if it wasn't her fault that Ermelian believed a rumor, Kel felt guilty for possibly ruining the marriage; Kel spoke up.

"My lady, please don't take your husband's silence as admittance to him being guilty for the numerous things that you are probably thinking right now." Ermelian looked at Kel with doubt, but the lady knight continued, "He is unable to answer you without making the situation worse. It's true that when we were younger, before he married you, we were in love. We were not lovers, though."

"Forgive me, but I'm afraid I am a bit confused as to what you're saying…" Cleon's wife said.

"I loved him, or at least thought I did, but I never…I never… went to bed with him," Kel shot a frown at Seaver, "Or anyone else, while we're on the matter."

"I would believe you in full, but I'm afraid that doesn't explain what my friend told me. Don't put it off as idle gossip, either. She wouldn't say such a thing just to upset me," Ermelian prodded Kel for an explanation. At this, Kel grinned sheepishly.

"No- she said what she heard. But I was merely in a sarcastic mood and completely frustrated with the rumors spreading around. I was…talking to myself and didn't realize that there were others around to hear my ranting," Kel sighed. " I'm sorry that you were, uncharacteristically it seems, pulled into court gossip and that my mutterings made the situation worse." Ermelian was silent for a second before smiling at Kel.

" Thank you. I'm just glad that my image of you is completely ruined Lady Knight." Kel looked confused, so the lady explained. "I've always admired you bravery and the way you stand up for what you believe in. I would have hated to hold a grudge with you over my husband."

" Don't worry, she's got her eye set on someone else- don't you Kel?" Neal grinned.

_Actually, I've got my eye set on two people- not that I'd ever tell you, Neal._ Kel shook her head to clear her thoughts and turned to Ermelian. "Boys- no matter how old they get, they never grow up." The two females grinned and began walking to dinner. The men all looked at each other before Merric made a comment.

" Did Kel just have a connecting moment with a female?"

Neal responded, " Oh, no! We've lost her- she'll never be the same again." The males then strode to catch up with Kel and Ermelian. When they reached the doors to the dining hall, Cleon offered his wife his arm and they walked through. Neal, Merric, and Seaver all mockingly offered Kel their arms.

"I'm sorry," Kel said with a dramatic air, "but you are all beneath me." She walked through the doors and followed in Cleon's wake to a table where they all sat down. All of the tables were laden with roasted goose, baked ham, and venison; fresh biscuits and rolls; and a variety of vegetables and fruits. Yuki, Neal's betrothed and soon-to-be wife, came over to the table and sat next to Neal while granting Kel a small smile. Although she was beginning to become less rigid in her Yamani habits, she was still somewhat reserved with her expressiveness. Kel smiled as Neal quietly expressed his undying love to the giggling Yuki.

While Kel was looking around the hall for a certain green-eyed sergeant, she saw a man come through the doorway with a petite blonde on his arm. Kel did a double-take and noticed that the man was…

* * *

Now for my thanks to my ever-faithful reviewers whom I love:  
**Nolee of Stone Mountain- **Sorry I'm so slow...I'm glad you liked the cheese man, though.  
**Mango Sam-** lol! You're just full of questions. I'm glad that my dream complicated some things.  
**Skittle Princess09-**heh! That read like one of my reviews. Sorry, though- my family is without a doubt scarier than yours.  
**Alianne Cooper-** Erm...guilty! I confess, I am the reason that law was invinted. I just couldn't leave my giraffe at home all alone! jk. I feel so honored that you used my saying!! Yay! I have corrupted someone's mind!! cough,..right...moving on.  
**The Final Stillness of Saturn-** Oh, good. I helped you feel a little less weird about your dreams. LOL- I actually have dreams about mystery guys all the time- they're pretty much the extent of my love not-life.  
**LadyA-** Yay! I love minor characters and ever since he was mentioned in The Immortals series as a year old- I've been wanting to give him a character. I'm glad you're starting to like him too.  
**VampiricEternity-** Woo-hoo! You're review made me so happy,you have no idea! If I got atleast one person to laugh like a maniac...It is success!! Mwua-HAHAHA.  
**calemra-** Who doesn't love cheese? Honestly -haunting voice-"The power of cheese!"  
**oceanspike-** If you didn't guess- I'm not gonna te-e-ell....hehe.  
**Lillianna-Rose- **I will never forget to reply to you..ever...I don't think my eardrums could take it.  
**Squirrel Maiden of Green-** Scary; Amusing; Bizarre...the best compliments a maniac like me could ever ask for! -tear-  
**Lynsi-** lol- I read you're profile and I am still pissed about BtVS being canceled, too! Did you notice there was another BtVS reference in this chapter? There'll be one in the next one, too. hehe-   
**Fugitive- **I'll keep updating, it just takes a while sometimes.  
**SeaStar-** There will be more romance to come- fear ye not!  
**Jowa- **Thank you! Again- I love using minor characters, and Thom just sounds like he'd be hot.  
**Mr. MooMoo's Unnamed Minion- **Do I know you? I swear you sound like my best friend/ "twin" who is obsessed with cows and we both have an imaginary friend named Bob who makes fun of us...what does "BYESLES" mean? -suspicious, very suspicious-  
**LadyJenofNewYork- **Thank you bunches! I'm just freaky, like that.  
**escawing- **Sorry it took so long.  
**ProwlingKitKat- **A girl after my own heart...-turns to stare at James Marsters shrine (that she actually does have!) on her wall...Yes- the cheese thing was correct. I love that episode. There's a small BtVS reference in this chapter, too. Clue: Poor William!  
**pinky-** I love that you love this story!! yay!  
**that1girl- **George is the man! Too bad he's taken...damn that Alanna! heh  
**Kore Yan-** Lol- it was a dream. The "annoying you" part was a clue as to who it was.The cheese man was nobody- just a random part of a strange dream, the mysterious man is for you to figure out, nobody is Carthaki, and Kel doesn't have a son..yet, atleast.  
**sYaOrAnRoXmiSoX- **Thank you for you sympathy towards Kel. I'm glad you like the fighting between the "un-fathers".  
**dragon shadows- **I don't make you beg for chapters on purpose, I'm just slow. btw- Thom definitely stays.  
**dreamerdoll- **thank you for finding my dream scene interesting.  
**Psycholioness13- **Sorry, I didn't get the hint! You pretty much have to tell me everything straight up.  
**elements-of-the-soul- **Kel and Thom! Woo-hooo! I have a follower!! And you only had to wait 2 days.  
**Local Tree Sprite- **No complaints? None? Well...that's much better than the person I'm about to respond to ...-evil grin-.  
**Dear uncertain--** Do you understand the meaning of a DREAM? Things that aren't are. Things are confusing, random, un-called for because- It was a DREAM. The Raoul and Cleon part....? It was a DREAM. Kel's inability to make everyone leave...? It was a DREAM. Cleon never sleeping with Kel and, even if he had, him not confessing to it because he's married...? It was a DREAM. So class...Let's all repeat together...IT WAS A DREAM. Got it? Good. No? Well, then- no one's making you read this fanfic.

To my ever-faithfully-lazy readers and non-reviewers. I still love you....you sloths, you!! = )  
  
And- aymay ethay umorsay eadsray uicklyquay oughthray allwayshay ofhay ouryay ifelay.   
So mote it be.


	7. Jealous and Just tell mes

The shame!! I am a failure—all lesser cretins shall bow before me in mockery!! Honestly, though- the "green-eyed sergeant" thing was just a typo. I KNOW that Dom has gorgeous blue-eyes, really- I do! It was the meds- I swear!!! Hehe. Anyway- sorry about this chapter that was supposed to be up yesterday, but I've been putting it off because I'm nervous. This isn't as humorous as my other chapters…it's a bit more dramatic and sort of hard to write. Just don't hate me too bad. I'm sort of thinking that half of you will like the chapter, half of you will hate it, and half of you won't care either way (don't diss my math skills, dude!). I feel like I'm walking to the guillotine… good-bye cruel world. Just remember, I'll be back (flexes overly-large muscles as she gains an Arnold S. accent.). On with my death wish, disguised as a chapter.

You're Not a Little Girl Anymore- Chapter 7

While Kel was looking around the hall for a certain BLUE-eyed sergeant, she saw a man come through the doorway with a petite blonde on his arm. Kel did a double- take and noticed that the man was…Dom. Keladry's heart paused in its rhythm for an instant as she tried to process what she was seeing. She quickly looked down at the table and attempted to put a rather convincing smile on her face. She heard a man clearing his throat and everyone at her table looked up. Dom was standing there with a big smile on his face as he looked adoringly at the lovely girl at his side.

"Come now, cousin," Neal said to Dom, " Who is this rather unlucky lady beside you?" As Dom took a breath to introduce the woman, Neal shot Kel a worried glance. Kel gave him a bright, and what she hoped was reassuring, smile.

"This is Nicole of Blythdin. Nicole- these are my friends, at least most days," Dom proclaimed with a grin, then turned to Nicole. "She's the happiness of my existence." The girl in question gave an embarrassed laugh.

"And I happen to think I'm rather lucky, as it were, to be able to have that title," she said to Neal. Kel's heart dropped a few inches.

"Ah- yes. Then I pity you all the more, for you must be extremely disillusioned by my cousin," Neal retorted light-heartedly. Dom and Nicole sat down in the last two seats left at that particular table. As Kel's heart was spouting plans of winning Dom away from Nicole and Kel's mind was lecturing on getting too involved with meaningless crushes, Seaver was loudly voicing his hunger to the table.

"When do you think he'll get here so we can eat?" The man's complaining sounded awfully like a child's whining. "Kel, are you okay? You look…" He stopped that line of thought when he received a quirked eyebrow from Kel. "…Lovely, radiant, effulgent!" Snorts and laughter were heard from around the table.

"Effulgent? Is that a compliment or merely another reason for me to make you beg in mercy?" Kel asked. Neal was quick to answer her.

"Actually, my dear Kel, effulgent is an adjective often used to describe light and magic, as well. It's a variant of the ancient tongue word meaning brightness or absolute light. Some, of course, dispute this as actually meaning absence of life, for absolute light would mean no darkness or color and-" Neal was interrupted from his philosophical lecture by both of the main doors opening fully.

The whole hall rose as King Jonathan IV, Queen Thayet, Prince Roald, Princess Shikokami, and Princess Kalasin walked through the doorway. The king inclined his head in recognition and everyone at the tables bowed and curtsied, respectively. The royal family walked up to the high table and sat down, causing the other occupants of the hall to do the same. King Jonathan stood up in all of his regal glory. Even Kel, who held a slight dislike for him, could not deny that he looked every bit royal. His black beard and hair and sapphire eyes stood out brilliantly on his smiling face.

"Welcome," King Jonathan proclaimed, for he never merely 'spoke' anything. "Tonight is a night of celebration. I am thrilled to see so many of you here, but there are many familiar faces missing. The battle, the war for now, is done and we have won. So now we can sound our victory cheer. The question now, is this: Where do we all go from here? Fields are to be replanted, castles and walls are to be rebuilt, and lives are to be put back in order, as well as they can be under the circumstances. Life continues and we do not simply send our sympathies and regards to all those who lost friends and family. We will send, and pass down, tales of honor and bravery and tales of goodness and truth. We will not pass down tales of good people who died. We shall pass down tales of heroes who lived," King Jonathan paused in his speech for a moment to look around the silent room. Someone's stomach rumbled loudly, lightening the moment and causing laughter. Seaver was slouching down suspiciously in his seat. King Jonathan laughed and continued. "Who am I to keep a soldier hungry? Thank you all for your bravery and sacrifices. Now you are rewarded, for listening to my entire speech and for sitting there looking interested. We feast!" He smiled as he sat down and Queen Thayet said something to him causing him to chuckle again.

Everyone filled their plates and began to eat. Servants replaced the empty trays and bowls with full ones. People were talking joyfully all around the room. Kel was not one of those people. She sat eating quietly, cursing herself silently for feeling so heart-broken over a man. She was too busy with her self-lecturing to notice Neal get up from his seat until he was right behind her.

"Kel?" He asked quietly. "Can I talk to you for a moment?" He nodded his head over towards a shadowed corner and Kel followed.

"What is it Neal, that you find important enough to leave your plate unattended?" Kel asked teasingly.

"Kel, I've known you longer than anyone," Neal said with a slight frown, "You're not alright. There's something wrong, and you're going to talk to me." Kel glared at him in return, but said nothing. "Kel- it's not the end of the world. There are other men out there than Dom."

"What are you talking about?" Kel scoffed. "There's nothing wrong, and there's certainly nothing wrong that has to do with Dom and that silly little blonde." Neal chuckled quietly.

"Kel, I'm not that oblivious. But the only reason you're feeling like this is because it's your first crush."

"Actually," Kel started.

"Right, right. There was Cleon, but that relationship worked out for a while. This is your first unresolved crush," Neal said.

"Actually, there was one before Cleon," Kel admitted grudgingly. Neal looked interested.

"Really? Who was it? When?" Neal questioned. Kel looked embarrassed.

"No one. Forget it." Kel lied quickly.

"Did I know him? Is he still alive?" Neal pestered. Kel sighed in resignation.

"Yes you knew him, you still know him, and yes he's still alive. All right? Now, leave me alone." Kel turned to walk back to the table, but Neal held her arm to prevent her from leaving.

"Come on! Who is he? Just tell me, Kel. I'm your best friend, you need to tell me these things."

"It was a long time ago; I don't still fancy him. It doesn't matter, Neal. Leave it be."

"No, tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me," Neal said in the most annoying voice possible. "Tell me. Tell me. Tell me. Tell me."

"Fine! Just shut that trap door you call a mouth," Kel snapped.

"Well…." Neal prodded.

"It was a long time ago. Remember that, all right?"

"Yes, yes. Just tell me."

"You're like a little child begging for candy."

"What can I say? I have a sweet tooth. Tell me who it was," Neal said with a grin.

Kel groaned before answering. "It was you. Happy now? The Goddess! I can't believe I just told you that." Neal grinned.

"Really? Did you really have a crush on me?" Neal teased.

"Shut it," Kel replied. Neal suddenly stopped grinning and looked serious.

"Kel, you got over me. You can get over Dom. You're the protector of the small." Kel grimaced over the title. "You know, your heart's the size of a walnut. Isn't that small enough to need protecting?" Kel grinned at his logic.

"I'll be fine, on one condition," the lady knight amended. " You let me go sit back down and eat, now." Neal shook her hand in acceptance and they walked back to the table and sat down. Dom voiced a question when they sat down.

"Where have you two been?"

"We were having a theoretical discussion on the root words of the word effulgent," Kel replied.

"Really?" Merric asked, looking at her strangely.

"Actually, we were discussing Kel's early years," Neal retorted. He leaned over to whisper something in his beloved Yuki's ear.

"Neal! Don't! I swear I will beat you black and blue," Kel threatened. "Just don't tell her that, please!" Her begging was in vain.

Yuki grinned at Kel before she said, "Honestly, Kel. I can't blame you." Kel glared at her for a moment before rolling her eyes and laughing sincerely for the first time that night. Keladry's heart softened and she even managed to exchange a few kind words with Nicole, although a fragment of the jealousy was still lingering from before.

The meal wane along with the daytime and everyone began exiting the dining hall. Kel traded farewells with her friends and made her way towards her room. She turned into the hallway that housed the classrooms and teachers. It was rather dark, with only a few torchlights flickering through the shadows. Keladry stopped as she felt someone was following her, but found that the hallway seemed deserted except for her. She warily continued on her way. Out of nowhere, a pair of hands reached out and pulled her into some sort of room. Kel, by no means incompetent of defending her self, went to counter attack and found that her arms and legs weren't moving at her commands.

"A little something I made up. Don't worry, it's not permanent or anything. It just allows me to do this without getting completely pummeled flat by you," a voice whispered. "Just don't scream, or I may have to do something drastic." _Perfect,_ Kel thought. _It's a dramatic kidnapper._ Kel wasn't going to submit so easily.

"What in the name of Chaos do you think you're doing?" Kel yelled. "Just wait till I get my arms back in working order, then you won't have that luxury." The voice, which seemed to belong to a male, chuckled. He held her by the shoulders and Kel felt his breath get closer to her face. There was no light in the room to see her capturer by. _It's the opposite of effulgent_, Kel thought sarcastically.

"Now, I have to do something drastic so you don't attract the guards this way with all of your yelling," the voice said. The man, or she supposed it was a man, was right in front of her. His breath mingled with Kel's own.

"Wh- what are you doing?" Kel whispered, getting slightly frightened by this mystery man.

"I'm signing my death wish," He whispered back.

"What do you mean by th-" His lips were on hers. Kel would realize only later that the magic had been removed from her limbs. Only later would she realize that she had voluntarily slipped her arms around the mystery man's neck as her feet closed the little distance between them.

* * *

Don't hate! You all knew it had to come, but I don't want any of you to hate Nicole. It's not her fault, really. Just breath…in…out…in…out. Now I want you to calmly collect yourself before screaming at the screen how stupid and crazy the author (aka- me) is. Then I want you to have a snack and take a nap before you start putting needles into a doll that resembles me (which would actually be sort of hard cause you don't know what I look like, so…good luck with that). FYI- There WILL NOT be an update for at the least five days. I know, I know! But I'm doing this Youth Conference thing with my church and, oh yeah, did I mention that tomorrow is my birthday? Hmmm, well now I have. I'll be turning 15 and getting my permit. So I advise you to stay away from any roads around the South-East Georgia/North-East Florida area. Thank you- and have a great. OMG- also (this is so cool) I got an early b-day present and it's one of those pre-paid visa cards…it's so neato! Lol- I'm trying to make you forget about the chapter you just read…is it working. Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful week and if I start getting many sharp pains in my body, I'll know who to blame.

To my oh-so-wonderful Ch.6 reviewers-

**Nolee of Stone Mountain-** OMG! I absolutely LOVE Newfoundlands! They are so sweet!   
**chicken-puffs- **Woah! Quiver in fear mere mortal. For time moves differently here, and one year equals one day. Haha!  
**Lilliana-Rose-** Soon enough? And don't worry, I'll never forget...what kind of punishments?  
**Alianne Cooper-** Pop? Is that like coke? lol- I'm glad you liked how I handled Ermelian. She always gets dissed in fanfic- but it's not her fault she was married off to Cleon. It wasn't even her choice.  
**dragon shadows-** yeah, I know what you mean with the waiting a long time. I have a few story's that haven't been updated in almost a year...but I'm still waiting.  
**pinky-** Thank you. It will not be a K/D, much to the disgruntlment of many of my reviewers.   
**evil spider monkey-** Yay! i love being evil. It's the whole "bad to the bone" mantra, ya know?  
**Squirrel Maiden of Green- **Thanks for believing my way of bringing Ermelian into the story. That's the third review that's called me evil, so far- go me!  
**Artemis Teranki Ryann- **I'm pretty sure questioningly IS a word.Or, at least, it is now!  
**Keziah- **It won't be a Kel/Dom, sorry to dissapoint you. btw- In trickster's choice it really doesn't describe Thom that much. It describes Alan more, seeing as how he's Aly's twin. Thom is bound to be slightly bookish, though. It sort of goes without saying, hand in hand with the mage training.  
**SeaStar- **I love chocolate chip cookies! It won't be Kel/Dom, in case you didn't realize yet.  
**VampiricEternity-** Yay! I love your name, btw.  
**Kore Yan- **Lol- no she's probably not going to have a child in this story, I just like confusing people.  
**ich bin viking- **I know, I know! I wallow in shame!  
**ossini**- Argh! I did! hehe  
**yamani-** thank you kindly!  
**lixt66- **Thank you, but see..I just gave you another one.   
**gReeNeYedeLfguRL13- **dude- YOU so totally rock! I'm on your favs? awesome!  
**Christina- **thanks. I hope you liked this chapter.  
**ALRI the Crazy Alaskan- **I'm sorry you hate Thom. But it is extremely likely that Kel will end up with him.  
**Skittle Princess09- **No way! You would SO not win the argument. Both sides of my family are crazy scary. Like at one family reunion, my uncle brought a cooler full of little alligators for us kids to play with...it was really cool though!  
**Keladry of Masbolle- **Thank you kindly!  
**elements-of-the-soul-** woo-hoo! Another Chili Peppers fan.Did you know that the love of my life James Phelps (Fred Weasley) and his brother love them too! Now you know.  
**Miya-chan3-** It was Dom! But you already know that, you read the chapter.  
**PsychoLioness13- **I got it, I got it. It's updated- please don't shoot me!  
**SafireSkittle37- **It's highly likely that it WILL be a Kel/Thom story.  
**oceanspike-** I hope you liked this chappie too!  
**steph- **yes, well -actually- it's today...right? Wait...I'm feeling dizzy, I'm confused!!!  
**To Nolee of Stone Mountain (again)- **You are so THE BEST reviewer ever! I find out who it was, I'll send em your way- deal? ps- You rock!!

And, as always, to all of my sloth-like readers- a solemn thank you with a side-dish of REVIEW! Also to all of those that review Ch.6 after I post this, a big **Thanks** as well.  
I love you all! - Throws out roses - ciao!

Aymay ethay umorsray eadsray icklyquay oughthray ethay allwayshay ofhay ouryay ifelay. Ta-ta


	8. It started with a rumor

I know all of you hate me right now, and most of you looking up curses on yahoo! at this very moment. I'm not going to give you any huge sob story about why I haven't updated. The fact is just that I've been busy, I was unsure what to write, and -most of all- I'm lazy. I imagine a few of you were quite ticked off to find my name on reviews for other fics, while mine remained un-updated. hehe- oops! School trouble, medical trouble, writer-block trouble, boy trouble, and most of all...laziness trouble. I am to blame, for I am the utmost epitome of laziness. But I still love absolutely all of you, and I hope y'all'll still love me too after this chapter. It is, incidentally, the last chapter. I know, I know- I suck.However, it was time to end it, and there will be no sequel. I don't thinkI rushed it, although a little is left for you to ponder, and it ended the way I wanted it to. I hope you'll forgive me, and I hope you review (and possibly add me to your favorites hehe). Most importantly, though, I hope you enjoy. Thanks to all you who have reviewed, especially those who have been with me since the beginning and have supported me in every way. I'm not going to list you all right now, because I really want to be able to post this and the amount of reviews I got is uber-amazing!! I will be revising this later, at which time I will include all of your names. I've enjoyed writing this and I've enjoyed entertaining all y'all. So, without further ado, I give you the final installment of our (and Kel's) journey:

* * *

_Recap>>>_

"Wh- what are you doing?" Kel whispered, getting slightly frightened by this mystery man.

"I'm signing my death wish," He whispered back.

"What do you mean by th-" His lips were on hers. Kel would realize only later that the magic had been removed from her limbs. Only later would she realize that she had voluntarily slipped her arms around the mystery man's neck as her feet closed the little distance between them.

* * *

You're Not a Little Girl Anymore: Chapter 8

Kel woke up with a start to find that she was sleeping on the floor. _I must have fallen off of the bed, _Kel thought. She stretched her arms above her head, still half asleep, remembering the interesting dream she had dreamt that night. _Although, _she admitted to herself, _It wasn't exactly a bad dream, was it?_ Kel grinned at her foolishness. She put her hands down on the cold stone floor to push herself up when she realized two things about where her left hand was resting. It wasn't cold and it wasn't a stone floor. That information woke Kel up completely and she looked down with apprehension. A pair of hazel eyes twinkled up at her.

"Good morning," Thom whispered with a sheepish grin on his face. Kel's mind was doing back flips processing the fact that her dream hadn't been a dream at all. She amazed herself as she realized that even if it had been a dream- it had been a _very_ good one. Thom was still looking at her, with uncertainty in his eyes.

"Good morning," Kel finally responded. They sat silently for a moment before Kel voiced a question that had been nagging her. "Why?" Thom didn't need an explanation. He knew what she was asking.

"I just felt-"he began.

"Like annoying me?!" Kel shot up to her feet and turned to walk out of what she now recognized as a classroom. Thom stood up and grabbed her right hand, causing her to face him. Kel glared at him in disbelief.

"No! I just felt that if I didn't my heart was going to burst from my chest," Thom said in a quiet but passionate voice. Kel's mouth opened in surprise. She struggled with a response, but her lips just moved wordlessly. "Close you mouth," the redhead teased. "Or I may have to do it for you." Her mouth snapped close. Then she did something that was unexpected. With a nervous look on her often-stoic face, she took a step closer to Thom. They were both silent, eyes locked.

"You may have to," Kel grinned as she broke the silence. Thom's eyebrows momentarily rose in shock. A smile then appeared on his face. He raised his hand, which was still holding Kel's, and entwined their fingers together. He shifted so that their noses were touching. Kel's eyelids fluttered closed as she yearned for Thom's kiss. After a few seconds of waiting, Kel opened her eyes to find Thom staring at her. "What?" She asked cautiously.

He replied with mock-seriousness. "I'm not going to be punched for this, am I?" Kel just laughed with exasperation. Thom closed the space between them. The previous kisses had been amazing. Caught up in the mystery of the man and the dark, Kel had lost herself in the moment. She was now fully aware of who she was kissing…and yet…_and yet this is the most amazing thing that's ever happened,_ Kel thought. The need for oxygen caused them to separate, but they remained in each other's arms.

"The Goddess…" murmured Kel, while Thom added his own whisper.

"Mithros…"

"So…what exactly does this mean?" the lady knight questioned quietly. She knew what she felt. She just needed to be sure of what he intended to do. Thom smirked before wrapping his arms around her and looking into her eyes.

"It means that I think about you all the time, that I love your stubbornness, that I love the way you try to hide your emotions, and that I most definitely love annoying you," this brought a small grin out of Kel. Thom's hazel eyes darkened before he continued, "But most of all, Kel…it means that I want you, that I can't think of spending my life without you….that I love you." After his confession, he let out a deep breath and waited, as if he was expecting the love of his life to refuse him. Kel looked thoughtful before she responded.

"What do you mean 'try to hide my emotions'? I never had trouble until you came along. I'm a disgrace to the Yamanis," she said, sounding angrier with each word. The redhead's face grew distraught, so Kel hurried on. "Honestly, I can't go letting my guard down just because of the fact that I'm absolutely in love with you." Thom looked confused for a moment before a shocked look came over him.

"You are such a little tease!"

"But you love me for it," Kel joked.

"Yes…yes, I do." Kel face softened at his quiet, yet passionate statement.

She leaned towards him and spoke softly in his ear, "I'm sorry forteasing you,Thom.But...I just felt like annoying you." She turned around and laughed as she went to the door to exit the classroom. Thom followed her.

"Just where do you think you're going, lady knight?"

"Well…I was thinking about leaving this room before class starts, but if you really like audiences…" she trailed off.

"Point taken," he said as he walked behind her, out the door. "So, m'lady," the young mage said sarcastically, "Where are you leading me?"

"Although I can't live without you, my dear," she called teasingly over her shoulder, "I'm afraid I require food as well." Thom grinned and then, to Kel's surprise, captured her hand in his as they walked towards the kitchens. They strolled through the halls in a comfortable silence until Keladry spoke.

"Did I ever tell you about that dream I had?" She turned her head towards him as she talked.

"You seemed to have forgotten that. Was I in this dream?"

"You might have made an appearance."

"Really? Well, you know what they say about dreams," he taunted.

"I'm afraid I don't," she responded. "What do these 'they' say about dreams?"

"They're visions of the future, sent by the gods," he faltered slightly at Kel's look before continuing, "_and_ goddesses to those that they favor." Kel quirked her eyebrow in disbelief.

"So you're saying that my dream is going to come true?"

"It's very possible, my protector of the small," he had to dodge a playful punch for his words. "Although, if you tell me about this dream, I can give a more accurate answer." He put on a hopeful expression.

"I'll tell you if it becomes reality," she offered.

"Oh, come on. Tell me. It'll probably never happen, and then I'll never know!"

"That was the plan," she admitted. "It wouldn't be so bad if it did happen, though."

"Okay, you win," Thom sighed in defeat. " On another note, what are we going to tell your friends when they see us so close?"

"We'll just tell them the truth," Kel said, in all seriousness. "You, being such a proper young man, asked for my hand in marriage- seeing as you _are_ the father of my child- and I accepted."

"Well, naturally- that is what I would do," he jokingly agreed. He then hesitated, unsure of his next words. "Hypothetically speaking- if I were to ask for you hand anyway, would you still be so eager to accept?" Kel's feet stopped instantly as Thom persisted, "Just for future reference, of course."

"I'd say your chances are highly favorable," Kel answered after a moment witha wink. She began walking again, leading him towards the kitchen doors. They opened the doors and walked through them, accidentally knocking a man down. He was a rather short, bald man who was wearing a cooking apron over his clothes and looking rather frustrated.

"I'm so sorry, sir," Thom apologized as he helped the man to his feet. "Can we help you with something?"

"No, no. I'm quite alright," the man replied. "I'm just looking for some kitchen staff to help me. I'm from the local dairy and I've come to deliver some cheese." His next words caused Kel's jaw to drop. "I don't suppose you know where it goes, young man?" The short man jokingly asked Thom.

"No, but I believe the staff lounge is over that way," the redhead pointed the way.

"Thank you, young man. M'lady," and with a short nod of the head he was gone in the direction he had been shown. Thom turned to Keladry.

"Are you alright?" he asked in concern, at the expression on her face. Her shock quickly turned to happiness.

"I'm fine," she assured. "But you know how earlier I said that I didn't believe in dreams revealing the future?"

"Yes…" he urged.

"Well, I believe now."

"Why the sudden change of mind?"

"My father," she responded. Because of Thom's confused look she went on to explain, "When I was a little girl he always gave me two pieces of advice that would help me through this life." At Thom's nod she continued, "He always said that life would be made much easier if we followed the guidance we're given."

"Ah, a wise man. So, you see this dream as guidance from above?" She smiled. "I'll take that as a yes, then. Now- what was his other piece of advice he gave you when you were younger?" Kel's cheeks colored before she answered.

"He told me never to be alone in a room with a man whose intentions were questionable…" she said with a smirk. Thom laughed and she joined him.

Once they settled down, he teased, "And what do you have to say for yourself, not following your father's warning?" In response, she stepped up closer to him and draped her arms around his neck.

Her next words would be spoken often in the following months, as she explained her love and thoughts of marriage to her parents. As they argued that she was too young, or that she didn't really know what love was, she would use the same phrase over and over. They would eventually lead to their acceptance and blessing, and because of that, a life of love and happiness.

It had started with a rumor. It had progressed to affection. It had become love. And it ended, as most things do,……"I'm not a little girl anymore,"….with a kiss.

* * *

And, with that,...May the rumors spread quickly through the hallways of your lives. 


End file.
